The RESQME Tool Window Breaker

This window breaker tool (with seat belt cutter), named ‘resqme’, is something which you might consider keeping handy in your vehicle (or on your keychain) in case of an emergency where you may need to quickly shatter and break a window to escape.

In the event of becoming trapped in your vehicle, the resqme tool contains a sharp blade to cut a jammed seatbelt and also contains a spring-loaded spike to shatter the car window.

(UPDATE: It really works)

Not only had I bought one of these window breaker gadgets for my own vehicle, but I’ve given some away to others. I recently found out that one of the giveaways had actually been used (fortunately not in a life-threatening situation). There had been a car accident (no-one hurt) but the car was totaled. While on-scene and prior to tow, he noticed their nice umbrella which was still in the car and was unable to open the damaged door to get it. He used his resqme tool and pressed it against the front lower corner of the window hard enough until it snapped the spike — and it instantly shattered the window into a zillion little pieces (safety glass). Reached in and saved the umbrella 😉

I bought one of these to keep in my truck for an emergency, just in case. Not only could this tool potentially save my own life in a car crash or submersion, but it could be used to help rescue others. Also, in a SHTF world where you might need to gain access somewhere whereby breaking a window will allow you to do so, this tool is one convenient solution.

The resqme tool is designed to help you escape quickly from a vehicle following a car crash or if sinking in water. Here’s an article I wrote awhile back, “How To Escape From A Sinking Car”.

The tool holds a sharp blade to cut a jammed seatbelt and a spring-loaded spike to shatter the car window. It is small and can even fit on your keychain.

The window breaker is a spring loaded center punch with a spike that is activated when you push the head of the tool against a window. You can test it or try it out by pressing it against a piece of wood or a pad of paper, etc. You will notice when you press hard enough, the internal spike ‘snaps’, leaving a dent where the spike was released. The mechanism resets itself automatically so you can use it again in an emergency. It cannot accidentally ‘go off’ because it requires 12-pounds of pressure while pushing against a surface in order to ‘arm’ the spring and trigger the center punch.

I am pressing the resqme and holding against the edge of a wall-corner, to show the spike

The seat belt cutter portion is a razor sharp blade mounted in a groove to enable you to quickly slice through the seat-belt material. The blade is protected by a clip which snaps tightly into the tool. The clip has a hole in it which cab be used to attach to a key ring.

Knowing that I may get tired of carrying this on my keychain after awhile, I tied a small length of paracord to hold the resqme to the gear shift lever – where it will ALWAYS be accessible if I need it in the vehicle.

About The Author

Ken Jorgustin, author of Modern Survival Blog, writing a unique mixture of lifestyle prepping & preparedness topics since early 2010.

13 Comments

Anon11/18/2013

Ken, this looks like an excellent tool

do you have a suggestion (link) to purchase it, or is it easily available? I don’t recal seeing anything like that in Canada.

not knowing what the cost is, if one’s budget would stretch to this, I would suggest, that as well as keeping one inside each vehicle, keep one on each keychain/set of keys. it seems very sturdy and handy, and it occurs to me that there may be many emergencies where it could be useful.

To be honest I have not actually broken any glass with it, as I currently do not have any scrap glass around the homestead. However I have no doubt that it will do the job, especially after having tested it against a piece of wood, etc. and ‘feeling’ the force (which is all focused into a tiny pinpoint of the steel piston). There are videos around youtube which show it in action.

UPDATE (06/2014): I’ve updated the article with a hands-on use of the resqme window breaker from someone I know. It works…

My wife, who flies three or four times a month has carried her Resqme on all aircraft since she got it at Christmas time. Last week the TSA confiscated it at the Portland, Oregon airport, PDX. They told her she could ship it home for $10.00, which is more than I paid for it. They also said it was the same thing as a box cutter. I think I know where it ended up. The last time I bought one, I bought a dozen. I think they are that good. Great stocking stuffers.

Thanks for the ‘heads-up’ about that… If you’re a frequent flyer, keeping it on a keychain may not be such a good idea. I simply keep mine hanging from the shift lever as illustrated in this article’s image.

This thread has probably long forgotten now, but this just happened to me yesterday. It bought me a full pat-down and my carry-on was turned inside out looking for contraband. It’s mean to save lives, not take them.

Window-smashing tool a lifesaver, says mom whose SUV went into slough
Natalie Millar says she wants all her friends to get one of the car-escape gadgets

A Saskatchewan mom whose family survived a potentially deadly mishap in a pond is urging people to get a window-punch device for their cars.

“It’s an escape tool that every family should have,” said Natalie Millar, who was driving home to Regina from Anglin Lake last Friday when the accident happened.

Being trapped in a vehicle underwater had always been one of Millar’s great fears, so much so that she had previously gone online to research the best way to handle such a situation

The electric window switches had shorted out so the windows and sunroof wouldn’t open. The water pressure made it impossible to open the doors. But she had her window-punch gadget attached to her keys.

The item, which goes by the trade name ResQ, is pushed against the window and when a button is pushed, it shatters the glass. There’s also a blade on the device that lets people cut through their seatbelts if they have to.

“It worked great,” she said. “The glass completely shattered.”

In the end, no one was injured. But within minutes, the SUV was almost completely submerged.

Millar is now a strong believer in the window-punch tool, which is about the size of a cigarette lighter and can be put on a keychain.

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